This is a placeholder for your sticky navigation bar. It should not be visible.

What It’s Like Being A Parent With Anxiety

July 6, 2017

“I Used To Asking Myself If I Would Ever Be Able To Give My Son The Guidance I Deep Down Wanted To. Thankfully My Goals During Fatherhood Have Been Reached.”

Despite all the facilities of the modern world, parenting still involves a lot of work. Parents need to juggle between different chores and create a balance between the needs of the children and one’s own needs, wants, and desires.

It requires efficient time management, proper support to the child, and presence of sufficient resources. All these issues are more difficult and amplified for parents with anxiety.

Parents with any type of severe or persistent condition, like diabetes or depression or anxiety, etc., will experience compromised functioning of body and mind, from time to time, due to that underlying challenge.

As a parent with anxiety we face additional challenges which only add to the varied difficulties posed by parenting. Anxiety afflicted parents often experience irregular sleep, reduced energy levels, concentration problems, lack of attention, moodiness, and irritability. All these may come together and play a major role in making the parent less available to their children.

Consistency of parenting is one of the most important aspects of child rearing. However, the ups and downs related to anxiety disorders can compromise this factor as well. Consequently, children may become confused and end up blaming themselves.

Mothers with anxiety or depression often tend to show less active interaction with their kids.

This can adversely affect parenting capacities and the mothers’ relationship with the kid. Lack of stimulation and/or response by parents can cause younger children to experience delays in development of emotional behavior, language, and maturity.

Stigma is another challenge associated with anxiety and other mental conditions.

Mental ailments are being frowned upon by society; it generally begets negative judgments and attitudes. This can prevent parents from acknowledging the fact that they are suffering from anxiety and thus often do not seek answers and/or coaching/therapy. Stigma may also increase the stress on parents to be the ideal caregivers.

Insurance coverage is another factor which can compromise better parenting.

For instance, breastfeeding mothers with anxiety who want to go for better and more effective supplements may not be able to afford those alternatives if their insurer does not cover those natural treatments. This may cause the mother to stop breastfeeding which consequently affects the quality of parenting.

As a parent with anxiety, listed below you will find some excellent tips that will help ease your anxiety starting today:

Focusing on the entire family

Avoiding isolation and socially connecting with others

Create a plan with the help of a mentor

Enrol children in varied activities

Get some alone time to attend to your own needs

Engage in your passions

Gain a better understanding of anxiety and how to gain more self control

Recognize your strengths as a parent

Exercising regularly can be a great for anxiety alleviation as well. Parents with anxiety may try circuit training, jogging, running, meditation, and yoga, etc.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is a really good treatment option for a parent with anxiety. Eating a healthy balanced diet is also beneficial. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and smoking. And Finally, getting adequate sleep, of at least 7 to 8 hours every night, is vital for relief from anxiety and becoming the amazing parent you were meant to be.

One comment on “What It’s Like Being A Parent With Anxiety”

Many parents can’t even talk to their kids talk less of scolding them because of fear of the child-hating them. Many parents don’t een talk to their kids anymore, just greet them in the morning that’s all and that’s not suppose to be. Anxiety leads to many things just don’t let anxiety take away your rights.

Bio: As a Certified NACBT Life Coach and NLP Master Practitioner, I help individuals and groups see where the obstacles in their life are, and guide/mentor them to reach their goals and full potentials. My program, YouTube videos, articles, podcast episodes, and coaching sessions are all a reflection of what worked for me and thousands of others worldwide to turn fear into freedom.